Out of curiousity what is the best/what do you prefer

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Just got my first lincoln not too long ago and have been wondering the best lincoln welder, i know to each his own however im kinda of interested/confused in what the hype is about the f162/f163, gas/diesel and so on.  Mine is an 1958 lincoln f162 continental sa200
Reply:I've only welded with one 58.  I bough it off a local contractor late in 77 and had it on my rig until 80, when I bough a brand new one.  I've always regretted selling that machine because it had a very nice and smooth arc, or thats the way I remember it being anyway.   The guy I sold it to used it for many years and always said he loved it.Good luck with your new machine.
Reply:I like the sound of the continental engine. I like a straght pipe, I like the fact that these engines were American made and are bulletproof. There's no hype to the continental engine. No clever marketing scheme to sell you a product, just a good engine. The generators are good too. They seem to be bulletproof as well. I don't know too much about them except that they can sit for years and then fire up and weld with little work.When you read about trouble with an SA200 on this board it usually involves a welder that has been sitting for years with no cover on the exhaust and the engine is seized. Or its something simple like a stuck exciter brush that is easily fixed.Bulletproof, reliable, easily worked on, repairable, low tech except for the PC board which is sorta low tech. Not all of them have the PC board so that's even lower tech.Last but not least is American made, American quality from a bygone era when American's had pride in America and manufacturing.http://www.facebook.com/groups/sa200weldersCurrent machines:Hobart G600 Powered by 1967 Chrysler LH-318 (Project)Hobart GF-250(Traded)68 Redface81 Blackface
Reply:I love mine so far, it was sittn in a field on a trailer all rusted and not being used when I got it, it wouldn't crank at first but me and my uncle played with it for a while and it finally crunk and has been running every since.  I am going to do some upgrades to it when I get time, like get rid of that r57 and do the one wire alt, how does the continental stack up against the newer lincolns or the millers?
Reply:Simplicity.Many years ago I was working for a single handed contractor laying xray pipe.  The tack-rig had 2 old SA's on it and one of them broke down so he switched it out and left.  The one they put on there was an old red face, about a 64 model, and it wouldn't start.  I had a 12" crescent, a little pocket crescent, a pocket knife, a fine wire hand brush, and a spacing tool.  We took out the plugs and cleaned them and checked the fire.  Took the bowl off the carb and cleaned it out, and set the floats.  Run enough gas out of the tank to get most of the rust out.   Got it running but then it wouldn't weld.I walked around the right of way a few minutes and found a pretty nice sand stone rock and sanded off the armatures then poured some water on the brushes.  There was at least one of the brushes that was struck.  Got it welding and it made the rest of the job just fine.Later I found out that old machine had been setting behind their warehouse for years and a tree had grown up through the frame that they cut out with a chainsaw just to get the welder out of there.  They poured some crap in the spark plug holes and broke the engine loose with a cheater bar then brought it out there to me.  Needless to say it tended to use a little oil.Kinda funny now, but back then I didn't find that all to amusing.  Last edited by slowhand; 10-17-2010 at 11:16 AM.
Reply:Originally Posted by slowhandSimplicity....Later I found out that old machine had been setting behind their warehouse for years and a tree had grown up through the frame that they cut out with a chainsaw just to get the welder out of there.  They poured some crap in the spark plug holes and broke the engine loose with a cheater bar then brought it out there to me.
Reply:After writing that this morning I've done some "reliving" that day and what you just said!!!!!  "I hope not"!!!!!    You're right.  Ain't possible today I don't believe.  Things are way to complicated now for all of that crap.Years ago we could develop a problem with our old SA's and fix them by going to NAPA after work.  Later guysGood luck
Reply:Your '58 is a DC only welder, most of the newest ones are AC/DC (not all) and your machine is much simpler than the newer ones. The welds the SA 200s make are hard to duplicate on other machines. You can rebuild the motor, rebuild the generator and rebuild the trailer cheaper than you can buy a new machine and they won't weld any better. IMHOOnly when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.                                         -Cree Indian ProverbSA 200 LincolnVictor Torches
Reply:Thats what i love about it, SIMPLICITY, when i first got it, the choke and the push button were on the back(radiator end) i thought that was funny being it so old, i started to leave them there but i relocated them to the front faceplate.  What volts and amps do yall recommend running 1/8 6011 and 1/8 7018, ive been welding with it for the last few days trynna figure out what works best for me i either run it too hot and burn a whole in the 1/8 inch metal im welding or run it too cold and cant keep the arc going to long,  can someone explain the dials to me a little better maybe i am just not getting them, im used to the invertecs at school we had with the digital display telling me what amps im running,
Reply:Get you some 5p's and run first gear about 75-80, 7018 2nd gear 60-65. Hope this helps. Oh get you some 3/16 plate to get the feel.1990 SA 200Miller 225  Rip Miller302Miller 135Lincoln 200 MigHypertherm 600 PlasmaPlasma Cam Cutting TableMikita Cold SawJL Welding Tx . com
Reply:Originally Posted by blubyu02Just got my first lincoln not too long ago and have been wondering the best lincoln welder, i know to each his own however im kinda of interested/confused in what the hype is about the f162/f163, gas/diesel and so on.  Mine is an 1958 lincoln f162 continental sa200
Reply:Originally Posted by blubyu02Thats what i love about it, SIMPLICITY, (snip), can someone explain the dials to me a little better maybe i am just not getting them, im used to the invertecs at school we had with the digital display telling me what amps im running,
Reply:Thanks mattmaguire, that's what I was looking for very informative, I am going to play with it a lot more as well